The Love of the Sea
by girl-who-flies-with-dragons
Summary: Modern AU, merman AU. Jack is sitting at the dock one day as usual when he gets the surprise of his life upon meeting a freckled and sarcastic merman named Hiccup. BoyxBoy
1. First Encounter

**The Love of the Sea**

 **First Encounter**

It was a warm day in early summer; and the old abandoned dock on the far side of the bay was once again occupied by the lone figure clad in brown shorts and the favorite blue sleeveless hoodie that matched his eyes and highlighted his shock of bleached silver-white hair. Jack sat motionless, staring out over the water as he had done countless times. _Maybe today_ , he thought. _Maybe I'll go in the water today_.

But he knew he wouldn't. Ever since the disaster almost two years ago, Jack—the high school junior who'd spent his summers happily swimming and socializing in the bay like all of the other young people in his town—couldn't make himself go knee deep in the water. And he hated himself for it. It wasn't like those circumstances would exist again, history wasn't going to repeat itself, he would be perfectly fine…Forget it _._ He thought the water was beautiful, and he enjoyed looking at it, but even just thinking about going in gave him the shakes and left him unable to breathe.

Probably the worst part of the whole ordeal was that his fear and shame—not to mention inability to participate in the primary summer social medium—had caused him to withdraw severely. Oh sure, he'd still hung out with people at first; but all his peers felt bad for him, noticed how the funny social butterfly didn't flit as much, and it had gotten to the point where he preferred to be alone. Winter was easier, everyone could play in the snow and no one went swimming. Jack had thought he'd be fine. Until that first big spring beach day rolled around last year and he just couldn't do it. Which is why he started riding his bike out here to the dock on the opposite side of the bay from most people. It wasn't that he didn't _want_ to be social; he just couldn't stand everybody knowing and treating him differently, pitying him really.

Sighing, the teen gazed at the lush greenery giving way to the rocks and saltwater; which was rippling and swirling under the constant light breeze; making it impossible to see below the surface. Ordinary enough, though Jack couldn't have imagined how this seemingly irrelevant fact would impact his day.

Jack jumped, his quiet contemplation broken by the abrupt appearance of a person's head above the water's surface. Eyes narrowing, he realized the stranger must have come from around the rock outcropping nearby, but he couldn't fathom why this person—a teenager, he noted with surprise—would be over here, far from the typical water festivities location. He watched as the boy, it was a boy with auburn hair, swam nearer, apparently ignorant of Jack's presence. _Is this kid new to town or something? Why would he come to the far side of the bay where hardly anyone but me ever goes? I mean, the party's on the opposite shore!_

It was only a few moments before Jack's notorious curiosity got the better of him. He may have become more of an introvert but that didn't mean he wasn't interested in meeting new people. Especially someone who probably didn't know about what had happened…"Hello!" Jack called out, waving a hand slightly. He bit his lip as the stranger turned to him with a loud gasp and wide eyes; he hadn't meant to startle him.

"Sorry about that, I thought you knew I was here. It's just, I know everyone around here but you're new, so…"

The auburn-haired teen recovered quickly, yet seemed strangely cautious while swimming over to a reasonable talking distance from Jack. _Is he nervous?_ Jack wondered. _Maybe he's just shy_. Pushing the thought away, he brought his attention back to the boy.

"I'm Jack, what's your name?" He saw a hint of resigned frustration pass through the other teen's face before he replied.

"My name's Hiccup." It took some work to choke back the smirk, though Jack must not have been doing as good a job as he'd thought because the—green, his eyes were green Jack saw now—eyed teenager glared at him.

"I'm sorry," Jack said for the second time. "I—wasn't trying to be mean." The-boy-called-Hiccup relaxed a little and nodded, making Jack feel unaccountably relieved. Until he noticed that Hiccup was still looking at him funny, staring really.

"So, you want to come hang on the dock for a bit? The sun's really nice up here, and it's not like it's off-limits or anything." Jack smirked, figuring his comment would make Hiccup laugh, or at least grin. Something normal. Instead, he looked wary, leaving Jack totally nonplussed.

"Um, thanks, but I can't, obviously."

"Why not? I know I slipped into my standard sarcasm, but seriously, you're more than welcome and—"

"Wait," Hiccup interrupted, expression turning to confusion and fear, "You—you don't see it?" He watched Jack frown as he looked around.

"See what?" Hiccup gaped at him, then slowly blew his breath out. He'd assumed that this boy Jack had seen it and didn't care, but now that he knew otherwise his father's warnings crept into his head. _Will this Jack person panic and call me unnatural, a monster, like humans supposedly do? Should I try to swim away without him seeing, or show him?_ All smirking at his name aside, Jack seemed really nice. And if he was honest with himself, Hiccup was extremely curious about humans and the land they lived on, which is why he was swimming over here in the first place. He wanted to talk to this Jack. His father didn't have to know about it…

Hiccup looked back at the white-haired boy. _Was that hair color normal? I thought only old humans had white hair._ But clearly this person wasn't old, or if he was then Hiccup had WAY more to learn about the species than he'd thought. Taking a deep breath and tossing away the remnants of his sanity, Hiccup flexed his lower body; lifting it out of the water for the person on the dock to see. "This."

Jack stared at the green scaly tail, mouth opening and closing futilely. He kept looking from those fins back to Hiccup's very human face, trying to reconcile the two images. As he tried to form words, Jack saw the cinnamon-haired—well, not boy—bring his tail under the water again as he watched the human. _He looks terrified_. "Well?" Hiccup's voice broke through the blue-eyed boy's thoughts. "Just, say something. Please."

Jack swallowed. "You're—you're, uh, a mermaid." Wincing, he was about to correct his mistake when Hiccup snapped, harsher than he meant,

"Merman!"

"I meant merman! Person. Something. Sorry. The stories are usually about mer _maids_ , and well, I never really gave it much thought." He watched the merman's—sheesh, _that_ term would take some getting used to—shoulders relax slightly. Or at least he didn't seem quite as annoyed. They stared at each other for a few moments, until Hiccup swam a bit closer to the boy sitting on the dock.

"You aren't calling me a freak, or a monster, or running off," he stated. Rolling his eyes, Jack bit back the first comment that popped into his head: _Gee, did you want me to?_

"Why would I do that? I mean, sure, I'm a bit—scratch that, extremely—shocked, but that doesn't mean I'm going to be rude. It doesn't mean I see you that way, even though I hardly believe what my eyes are telling me." Feeling worried he added, "Have, have other people done that?"

The other teen shook his head. "You are the first human I've ever met, or even seen up close. My father has warned me over and over about humans though, so I was afraid when you saw me. Then I thought you could see my tail and didn't care, but obviously you hadn't—"

"So why didn't you just swim away?" Jack interrupted.

"Huh?"

"I could tell that you were scared, why did you stick around?"

Hiccup shrugged. "I'm also curious. Sue me." Hiccup's comment and the absurdity of the situation got Jack giggling, and soon they were both laughing. The white-haired boy had his own fair share of inquisitiveness, and he plied the merman with questions about his tail, how fast he could swim, if he could breathe underwater or if he had to come to the surface like sea mammals. Hiccup inquired just as much about humans; the afternoon passing rapidly as the unlikely acquaintances shared about their worlds.


	2. Wor(l)ds Apart

**Wor(l)ds Apart/Good Friends Are Better Than Good Books**

Azure eyes opened slowly, blinking lazily a few times before widening suddenly. Jack jolted upright, gasping as he remembered what had happened the day before. _A merman. I_ _met_ _a merman_ … He could clearly recall the appearance of the water creature—Hiccup, that was his name—and the following conversations that afternoon; but now, as the white-haired teen sat on his bed in a daze, part of him couldn't help wondering if it had all been a dream. Merpeople? Real? It simply wasn't possible. Trying to think logically, Jack ticked off supporting points for the merman's tangibility on his fingers: he had the sunburn to prove he'd been out by the water all day, hallucination was off the table seeing as he avoided drugs like the plague, and he was (mostly) sane.

After rubbing his eyes once more and pinching himself for good measure—conclusion: he really needed to trim his fingernails—Jack decided that he was most definitely awake, and that the only way to be _absolutely_ sure that yesterday's events actually happened would be to go back and see the mythical creature again. Preferably right now. Mind made up, the pale youth sprang out of bed to throw on some clothes; hurriedly putting water and snacks in a backpack, stuffing a bagel in his mouth, and writing a short note for his parents before dashing to the garage for his bike. _Not that the note actually has any useful information regarding the exact location of my excursion_ , Jack thought wryly.

By the time he'd stashed his bike in the bushes at the end of the main trail and started on the narrow footpath, Jack's heart was hammering and his palms were sticky. Even if their meeting hadn't been a product of his imagination, there was no guarantee that the merman would be back today, or ever. Aside from needing to know if he had, in fact, gone crazy, the cobalt-eyed teen also simply wanted to see Hiccup again. True, he barely knew him, but the time they'd shared yesterday was some of the most enjoyable moments he'd had in ages. Jack really liked the aubrunet's company, and realized he would be totally crushed if he never saw him again. He wanted to be friends.

His heart continued beating wildly as he came within sight of the dock, only to sink as he noticed the platform was empty. Trudging down the slight hill and stepping onto the wood, Jack stubbornly scanned the surrounding rocks for any sign of fins or cinnamon hair. Nothing. Letting out a frustrated sigh, he ran a hand through his own white locks, sitting down heavily on the dock to gaze out over the water without actually seeing it. He had hoped, he had _so_ hoped Hiccup would be here; and they could have another afternoon of talking and laughing and just…having a good time. While the teen knew perfectly well that his situation of social exclusion was self-implemented, he was still lonely. Jack _wanted_ to spend time with people; it had all just gotten so complicated after the incident that being by himself was easier. But Hiccup, despite having every reason to flee as soon as he'd seen there was a human on the dock, had taken him at face value; listening attentively, sharing excitedly, interacting comfortably. The aubrunet was a genuinely nice and friendly—well, merman—and Jack was realizing exactly how much the water creature's company meant to him yesterday. Maybe he'd wait for awhile, just in case.

Jack had been sitting for over two hours when a quiet burbling sound jolted him to attention. Chest filling with hope he moved to look over the side of the dock, eyes widening and mouth stretching into an astonished smile as he caught sight of a freckled face with sparkling viridian eyes peeking slightly above the water.

"Hic-Hiccup?"

Said creature smiled back at him. "Hi Jack."

Jack just gawked for a moment, before jolting upright and waving his arms wildly as he bounced on his toes. "You're here! You're real! I didn't imagine it, I wasn't going crazy, you're actually here and—wow, this is great!" Noticing the somewhat astonished but also amused look on the freckled face, the pale teen smiled sheepishly and sat on the dock again to peer at his companion. Still grinning, Jack continued. "I really _did_ think it was only a dream when I woke up this morning, so I rushed out here and…well, I'm glad you came." He added hastily, "Not just to see if I was right about you being real, but because I really liked hanging out with you, and well, I was hoping we could again?"

It somehow came out as a question, making Hiccup smile with amusement. "Well," he drawled, "Hopefully you've caught on that the feeling is mutual, seeing as I'm here and all."

Jack laughed, Hiccup grinning back at him. Quite soon though the laughter left the white-haired teen, and a look of slightly anxious curiosity covered his face. Wordlessly, he lay on his stomach with his head and shoulders over the edge, slowly reaching out with a pale hand. Moving just as cautiously, looking a little nervous and shy, Hiccup lifted an arm as well and stretched until his fingers brushed the human's. They stayed with their hands connected for a moment, eyes wide at this final confirmation. Withdrawing his hand, Jack smirked and patted the wood next to him. "So, you want to come hang on the dock for a bit?"

The scaly creature took a chance and joined him, managing with considerable effort to haul himself onto the wooden platform and sit next to the boy; who couldn't help staring as he got his first full look at the merman. The human-looking part of him was covered in light freckles, right up to the iridescent dark-green scales that began where his hips would be and cascaded downward to the large, translucent emerald fins. After a few moments spent admiring the merman's stunning tail, the teenagers fell into conversation like they had the day prior, sharing more personal things this time. Jack inwardly marveled at how easy and comfortable it was to talk to Hiccup; not that he was spilling his secrets by any means but their interaction seemed to just flow. He learned that Hiccup's father was a highly respected and important figure among the region's merpeople, and that Hiccup was expected to take up this mantle of leadership when he came of age in a few years. After a short pause, the aubrunet added somewhat bitterly that he wouldn't be much good seeing as he was so runty and weak. This comment caught Jack by surprise. "Weak? I find that hard to believe." Hiccup gave him a look, "You haven't seen the others Jack..." Undeterred, the pale youth continued. "I know but, well, swimming is the most vigorous form of exercise for humans, and you're doing it constantly, so logically you ought to be super strong. I mean, you're not like us lazy humans, with our cars and planes and everything taking us from one place to another."

Hiccup looked at his new friend, utterly perplexed. "What are cars, and planes?" Jack chuckled, "Oh yeah, I guess you wouldn't know. Well, cars and planes are machines that people can sit in to go places, and they run on gasoline; cars have wheels and you drive them on the land, and planes have wings to fly—"

"Wait, fly?" Hiccup interrupted, "Like birds?" Jack shook his head, "Not really. They goes through the air, yes, but they don't flap their wings, they're not—alive." Hiccup looked intrigued. "So how exactly do they work? What do they look like?" As the human teen struggled to explain properly, his eyes lit up as he got a helpful idea. "I know! I'll get some books to explain it! That will work much better than my clumsy attempts here." The merman narrowed his eyes slightly. "What are books?" Surprised, Jack turned to look at his companion again. "Well, they're large, um, compilations of writing. Do you have writing?" The aubrunet shook his head. "What's writing?" Blowing out his breath, Jack thought for a few moments. "Writing is, it's a way of communicating that doesn't require speaking; it can be used over and over or shown to lots of people. It's words that stay." He watched as Hiccup mulled this over, then he added, "Writing—books—are super useful, for explaining and learning things, but they can also have stories in them, so they're fun to read." The water creature looked up at him excitedly. "Stories? I love stories!" Jack smiled. "That's settled then. I'm going to the library." He couldn't help chuckling as his now predictably inquisitive friend asked eagerly, "What's a library?"

The July sun poured its warmth over the jubilant white-haired youth who was practically flying down the narrow dirt track, hopping off his bike when it ended to continue along the footpath, whistling cheerfully. Jack had come to this part of the bay countless times during the past year, but it was the last three weeks that stood out brightly in his memory. Those recent days—and he'd made sure to spend every single one here—were like sunshine coaxing flower petals to open, reminding him just how enjoyable it was to be with a friend. Funny how sometimes you don't fully notice the effects of something's absence until you regain it.

The slim, pale teenager's smile stretched even further when he came in sight of the small dock and saw familiar cinnamon hair. "Hi Hiccup!" The merman turned to him with a bright smile on his face, waving back before flopping his tail up onto the dock.

"How's it going Jack?" Said youth took the backpack off his shoulders and plopped down next to the sea creature. "Great. I went to the library this morning, got us some new bo—" Before he could finish, Hiccup seized the pack and eagerly tore through it to find these wonderful repositories of fabulous stories, ignoring Jack's laughter. "Clearly you're not excited at all," he grinned at his companion cheekily, "At least, not to see me." Hiccup closed the cover for the mysterious _Treasure Island_ and made a show of putting it away before turning to face him, mock offended. "You wound me Jack, your company is more than enough for me; I don't need any of these books."

The blue-eyed teen tried (and failed) not to smile as he raised an eyebrow. "You surrre?"

"Totally."

"But," Jack continued, "Are you absolutely sure you wouldn't prefer both my company _and_ the books?"

"Well," Hiccup chewed his lip, pretending to consider it, "Now that you offer…" Jack reached over with a knowing glance and dug through the backpack. "Here, let's see what you think of this one, it has merpeople in it." Before opening the book to resume his now-common routine of reading to his enthralled friend, Jack shifted and stretched to make himself more comfortable on the hard dock. Hiccup's eyes widened at the succession of popping sounds. "Please don't tell me that was your back."

"Alright, I won't tell you then." Jack retorted, smirking. Hiccup groaned inwardly, _this guy_. But as he scooted next to the human and looked at the pictures while listening to him read _Peter Pan_ aloud, he was really glad to have this friend; who was just as wonderful and fascinating as anything in a book.


	3. I Don't Mind (Holding You That Is)

**I Don't Mind (Holding You That Is)**

"You want to what?" Okay, so Jack _had_ heard him the first time, but he wanted a repeat to be sure that Hiccup wasn't joking. Which the sarcastic little fish did a _lot_.

"I want to go up on the land. Technically I can see the trees from here, but I want to know what it's like to actually be in them; have you show me a piece of your world in addition to hearing about it." He looked at Jack slightly worried. "That is, if you don't mind. I know I can't exactly walk over there…"

Jack didn't mind at all; rather, he was excited that Hiccup was so curious. "Of course not. There is this tiny meadow in the trees just over there," he waved a hand absently, "that I think you'd like, with grass and flowers and everything." Kneeling down next to his friend on the dock, Jack held out his arms, raising his eyebrows expectantly. Hiccup nodded, after two months of hanging out—reading, playing the strange but highly intriguing "board games" Jack introduced him to, and of course, talking—he trusted the human, and wrapped his arms around the white-haired boy's neck as Jack gripped underneath his back and tail; slowly lifting him up.

"It isn't slimy." Viridian eyes looked up into sapphire ones, perplexed. Jack really said the strangest things sometimes.

"What are you talking about?"

"Your tail." Jack stated as he traced the iridescent green scales experimentally. "I mean, you have a fish tail, and fish are all slimy, so I thought…"

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Boy, you really don't know anything about merpeople do you Jack?" Said teenager chuckled as he started walking towards the forest. "Yeah Hiccup, I should totally be an expert seeing as I've met so many." The merman rolled his eyes again, "Oh, shut up." Seriously, Jack was never going to stop adding sarcastic comments to everything he said.

About two minutes later they reached the meadow and Hiccup was officially fascinated; jaw dropping slightly as he simply stared at everything for a moment. Trees were _huge_ , and seeing so much greenery up close was very different from viewing it while in the water. And there were those delicate plant things called flowers; some of them speckled with the otherworldly little creatures Hiccup had learned were called butterflies from the books Jack brought. Removing his arms from his friend's neck, the merman reached out excitedly to try and touch all these wonderful new things.

Jack stood still for a moment, simply grinning at his friend's amazement. But he soon found himself distracted by the excited flush on the aubrunet's cheeks, the freckle patterns on his skin, and the comfortable feeling of holding him. Jack didn't even realize he was pulling Hiccup closer until the merman wiggled impatiently and asked to be set down; fortunately not noticing Jack's red face in his eagerness to explore. The human teen hastily complied, barely registering his companion's animated exclamations in lieu of trying to calm his heart rate and sift through his turbulent thoughts.

He jolted back to attention when Hiccup, who had been dragging himself around the clearing while firing off questions, fell clumsily over some dead branches. Shaking his head slightly, Jack walked over to him while pulling off his hoodie. "Hiccup—"

"—and over here look, have you smelled these flowers? What kind are—" "Hiccup." Jack interrupted firmly, "You're going to get scratched up." Finally the merman paused and gave him his full attention. "What?"

Jack knelt next to him. "You're going to get scratched up crawling around without any clothes on." He watched Hiccup's mouth form a silent 'Oh,' those pink lips curving beautifully and— _What are you thinking Jack?_ He coughed slightly, "Here, wear this." Sliding the soft material over Hiccup's head, he tried not to laugh when his companion struggled to find the armholes, finally taking pity on him and reaching over to help. "Thanks, I guess." The water creature spoke with a slight frown. "I mean, it's a good idea, it just feels so strange." Honestly, Hiccup had always thought these clothes things humans wore were ridiculous and unnecessary confinements, prompting Jack to point out at the time that clothes kept humans warm and helped protect them from injuries. _It smells like Jack_ , Hiccup realized, trying desperately not to blush. Well of course it would seeing as the boy wore it constantly, it was just a logical observation; no, he didn't feel giddy, he was just excited to explore—yeah, that was it. Definitely nothing ridiculous like how he'd forgotten to breathe just now when Jack took his hoodie off, exposing his pale chest. _Wait, what?_ Pushing away his inconvenient and frankly rather alarming thoughts, the merman turned his attention back to exploring his surroundings; unaware that the only thing his companion could think about was how adorable the aubrunet looked in the blue hoodie.

The two friends remained in the clearing for close to an hour, trading conversation and laughs while trying to pretend they hadn't been looking at each other differently. Soon Jack carried the cinnamon-haired creature back to the dock, but he couldn't bring himself to go home for the day just yet, so he started in on another topic. Only a few minutes of talking had passed though when Hiccup trailed off, eyes wide as he looked around frantically. "What's wrong?" Just as Jack registered the sound of an approaching motorboat, the merman dove under the water and disappeared. _Wait!_ The pale youth almost called out, but realized it was probably best if he didn't draw any attention. He could see the boat now, it was really quite close as it passed the forgotten dock and then continued on in the direction of the main harbor further south. Breathing a sigh of relief, Jack stood to scan his surroundings for his friend, when he heard a voice calling quietly from directly underneath the dock. "Are they gone?"

"Yes, it's safe; you can come out." Kneeling down to peer over the edge of the wood, Jack just about cracked his nose on Hiccup's head, who'd surfaced unexpectedly. "Ah!"

"Sorry, I didn't know you were right there." Hiccup rested his elbows on the rim of the dock; tail in the water and torso mostly out, fidgeting nervously. "Jack." The merman spoke suddenly. "You haven't—I mean, you wouldn't um, tell anyone about me…right?"

Jack scooted a bit so he was sitting right in front of him. "Of course not, don't worry." He smirked, "Besides, they'd probably call me insane and lock me up." Hiccup didn't seem convinced, still biting his lip anxiously. In an attempt to reassure the water creature, the human boy reached out and gently took hold of the other's hand. "I would never do anything to put you in danger." He was rewarded with a smile as his companion relaxed visibly; several minutes passing in comfortable silence before Jack remembered that he was still holding Hiccup's hand. Both boys blushed, swiftly disengaging the connection. "Uh, I um, didn't mean…" Jack had only intended to comfort his obviously frightened friend, but now that they'd broken apart he realized he wanted to continue holding Hiccup's hand; feeling the calluses on the fingers and the muscles in the palm, maybe kissing the knuckles... _Oh shit, this can't be happening_.


	4. Friends and Fears

" **Friends" and Fears**

Jack paused in mid-sentence, craning his neck to look towards the trail behind him. _Were those voices?_ He'd been hanging out with his crush—ahem, his _friend_ Hiccup nearly every day for close to three months, and he'd found no evidence of anyone using the trail out here besides him. Until now. "Quick, Hiccup get in the water, someone's coming!"

"What? I thought you were the only one who came out here by land!" Jack tried not to panic as the voices got louder.

"So did I, but apparently not anymore, just, hurry and be quiet!" Moving swiftly, he grabbed the freckled teen and helped lower him into the water so he wouldn't splash. Motioning for him to stay low, he watched anxiously as the emerald tail disappeared underneath the dock just in time.

Jack tried to sit there nonchalantly, as if it was perfectly normal for him to be there totally alone and staring off into space. A moment later two tall figures came into view along the trail, immediately catching sight of Jack. _Oh no_. "Well Dillan, look at that. He's been saying for two years that he doesn't want to hang at the beach with us and swim with pretty girls, yet here he is at the water. Do you always come up here when you disappear _Jackson_?" Though his heart was pounding, the white haired youth figured he'd better play it cool.

"Dillan, Jeremy, how are you?"

"Don't give us that shit Jack, you owe us an explanation!"

From behind a pillar, an almost completely submerged Hiccup's blood boiled at the strange human's harsh tone. He himself had wondered plenty of times why Jack didn't swim like everybody else, but hadn't wanted to press the issue. Once, earlier in the summer, Hiccup had begged Jack yet again to swim with him and when the blue-eyed teen refused he'd playfully splashed him. The terrified look on the human's face immediately caused the merman to realize his mistake and apologize; forgiveness was granted and the issue set aside, though Jack had never explained.

Hiccup's attention returned to the current situation with the sound of people walking on the dock towards Jack. "—perfectly well what happened, friends are supposed to be supportive not pushy, that's why I wanted time to myself!" That was Jack's voice, more upset then Hiccup had ever heard him. _Some friends_. The merman was ready to launch himself onto the dock and slap those jerks with his tail, when a flash of movement caught his eye. Right above him was a particularly wide crack in the boards, and Hiccup could just make out Jack's face, looking down at him and shaking his head no; as if he'd read Hiccup's mind. Before he could make a decision, he heard a scuffle and Jack yelling. _What was going on?_ Heavy footfalls sounded above him, punctuated by his friend pleading.

Suddenly, there was a scream and a giant splash to Hiccup's left, followed by a head of white hair breaking the surface with a loud gasp and much flailing. Hiccup watched helplessly as Jack lurched haphazardly to the dock and hauled himself up as fast as possible; cruel laughter ringing through the air as the two 'friends' left, calling the white-haired teen unflattering names. Once he could no longer hear them the merman cautiously looked out, upon seeing no one he made his way back onto the dock.

Jack was curled in on himself, shaking and totally soaked. Hiccup's heart clenched when he noticed that not all the water on his friend's cheeks was from the ocean. Dragging himself over, the auburnet gingerly laid a hand on the older boy's arm; biting his lip as a tear-stained face lifted to look at him briefly before turning decidedly away. _Was he ashamed?_ "Jack, I…" the merman stopped, not having the faintest idea what to say, how to comfort him. How to make sure he knew that Hiccup didn't think any less of him, even if he didn't understand why Jack was frightened.

Carefully, as if Jack were a fish that would take off if he moved too fast, Hiccup placed his arms around the human boy's shoulders and pulled him close. He felt Jack stiffen, then slowly relax and lean against him, twisting so arms went around Hiccup's bare torso and his face buried in the crook of his neck as he cried. Not really knowing what he was doing, the sea creature murmured softly as he held him, running a hand through his spikey hair absentmindedly. He so wanted to kiss the top of his head—in a comforting way!—but didn't know how the human would respond, so he dismissed the thought. The last thing he wanted to do was make the situation worse.

Gradually the trembling ceased and breathing evened, Hiccup reaching up unthinkingly to brush away Jack's tears when he drew back. The merman lost track of time as they sat next to each other in silence. "You're probably wondering what that was all about." Jack's voice sounded odd.

"I am. I mean, I noticed that you never went swimming, and wondered; but you don't have to say anything if you don't want to. I don't want to be like _them_." Jack glanced up, surprised at the venom in his normally gentle friend's voice, yet secretly glad that he cared so much. He had had enough bad experiences of people judging or treating him differently that he was extremely wary of telling anyone about what had happened; why he was so scared of the water. But as he looked into Hiccup's emerald eyes, he understood that this precious friend really cared and just wanted to be able to support him. And if he couldn't trust _Hiccup_ , who had basically become his world these past few months, then how could he ever open up to anyone?

Jack took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax (when had his fists balled up?) and started to speak softly. "Like my former friends said, I did used to go swimming. I went all the time just like everyone else, and I loved it. But a few years ago, we had this freak storm." Hiccup's mouth went dry as he got a terrible sense of where this story was going.

"I was swimming with my sister when the weather turned, like an idiot I got cocky and figured I could stay out a little longer. Then the tide changed, and the waves came…it was all I could do to get her safely to the dock and up the ladder. But before I could climb up too I got pulled away and then smashed against the pillars." Swallowing hard, Jack continued. "I remember hitting my head so hard, and trying to stay conscious as I sank, the tide dragging me away from everything. I could feel myself taking in water even as I blacked out, and there was _nothing_ I could do about it. The rescue workers barely fished me out in time, they had to rush me to the hospital." He faltered, trying to steady his breathing, reminding himself that it was all over. "Ever since then I haven't been able to go in the water. I've tried, but just going in knee-deep about sends me into a panic attack. It didn't only take away something I loved to do, it changed some of my relationships—as you saw—and, well, I'm different now." Jack paused, unsure of what to say, or how much. "And I hate that."

Feeling drained, Jack stared at his hands and wondered what Hiccup's reaction would be. He'd gotten a lot of similar and predictable responses before, ranging everywhere from "Oh, you saved your sister, that was so brave" to "It's been years Jack, just get over it already". But the merman remained silent. He simply took the boy's hand in his, as if to reassure him that he was there without using any empty and cliché words. And this simple gesture meant more to Jack than the sea creature would ever know.


	5. Terrestrial Adventures Part 2

**Terrestrial Adventures, Part 2**

 _This was a bad idea_ , Hiccup thought for at least the sixth time as he huddled under the dark blanket covering the moving wheelbarrow he was currently in. Visiting the meadow with Jack—which they'd enjoyed doing many times over the past few weeks—was one thing, but going to Jack's _house_? He must have been temporarily insane when he'd agreed to it. Okay, yes it was his fault for expressing an interest in seeing where Jack lived, especially since it wasn't like the boy could come over to his place unless he got one of those ridiculous contraptions humans called 'scuba gear', never mind his water phobia; BUT he hadn't expected him to enthusiastically agree _and_ instantly come up with a plan. As a result, the older teen had played sick when his parents and sister went to the next town over to see a movie, then dashed down to a pre-arranged meeting place in the part of the bay closest to his house. It ended up being a good choice; there were plenty of rocks and pillars for Hiccup to hide behind, and a small beach to haul himself out on.

So here they were at night, Hiccup unable to see anything as Jack made his way as quickly as he could without jostling the merman too badly. At every little unfamiliar sound Hiccup was convinced someone had seen them and was going to ask Jack why the hell he was walking through the middle of town at night with a wheelbarrow. Then he would be totally screwed. Hiccup groaned softly. He should have just kept his mouth shut and stayed in the water; so many things could go wrong like—

The movement stopped suddenly. "We're here!" Jack whispered, even though he hadn't seen a soul during the nerve-wracking trip. He peeled the blanket back to reveal a quivering Hiccup. Concerned, Jack bit his lip, "I can take you back if, if you want. But, uh, nobody saw us and we probably won't get another opportunity for a long time." _And I really, really want to have you over, even though it shouldn't be this big of a deal._ Hiccup nodded slowly and whispered back. "Well, we made it this far. And I _am_ curious." Jack rolled his eyes as he hoisted the cinnamon-haired creature into his arms. "I know you are silly."

The human teen carried the merman to the front door, then realized he only had two hands. "Crap! I need to unlock the door!" Setting his friend down gently onto the steps Jack hurriedly rooted around for the spare key, holding it up in triumph before opening the door with a bow. "Are you always this dramatic?" Hiccup demanded, though he was smiling. Jack grinned back as he brought him inside. "Only around you."

"I feel so special."

"Alright your majesty, let me set you down again so I can turn the lights on—ouch!" Hiccup winced in sympathy; Jack must have smashed his foot on something. Said boy placed Hiccup on the couch, then went to get the lights; cursing the table leg that had attacked his poor toe. Once the lights were on and Hiccup had finished rubbing his eyes at the sudden brightness, Jack happily began the long process of showing and explaining everything to him.

Soon Jack was carrying Hiccup upstairs, the merman having asked to see his room. Merpeople had personal rooms too, and he wanted to know how they differed—aside from the obvious. Walking through the open door, Jack set him on the bed with a grunt. "Man, I need to work out more." The aubrunet didn't comment, he was far too busy looking at and touching the bed. "So these are blankets? They feel like your clothes." The white-haired youth felt his face start to heat up as he watched Hiccup flop down experimentally, only half-hearing what he was saying about how comfortable it was.

Instead, Jack was all-too aware of a slim torso sprinkled with freckles, the green scales that glistened even when dry, thin lips which always seemed quicker to smile than frown. Hiccup was beautiful. Jack was no stranger to having such thoughts about boys, though he'd never told anyone and most definitely had never acted on said thoughts and feelings. As far as everyone else was aware, he just hadn't found the right girl yet. For quite awhile now he'd been trying to ignore his emotions, trying (and failing spectacularly) to convince himself the merman was just a friend, pretending he didn't like him _that_ way even though he knew perfectly well that he did. But this situation—right now, as Hiccup was rambling on in his bedroom—this was a real problem, insanely difficult to ignore. Ugh, they weren't even the same species! Hiccup couldn't live on land, and Jack wasn't capable of going in the water. He'd never meant for this, these feelings, to happen; he'd just met someone who was nice that he enjoyed being friends with, who he'd sort of kind of really totally developed a massive crush on. What was he _thinking_ bringing Hiccup to his house? There he was _lying on his bed_ half-naked (technically), and Jack didn't even know if Hiccup knew what being gay meant. Were there gay merpeople? There was no way Hiccup felt the same about him, and the last thing Jack wanted was to ruin the friendship that had come to mean everything to him. But goddammit if he didn't want to grab that sarcastic merman and kiss the seawater out of him. _His lips look so soft_ , Jack's mind rambled, _and when they move they—wait, they're moving. Crap, he's talking to me!_ "Uh, right, clocks, yeah, I've um, got one over here…"

Making his facial expression as neutral as possible, feigning nonchalance, Jack hurriedly picked up the conversation again; continuing to show Hiccup human things and teasing him about his amazement for such mundane items as socks, or a notebook. Even though Jack was pretty sure Hiccup hadn't caught on, his insides were still wound tighter than a spring, and the human teenager was almost relieved when he realized his family would be home soon and he'd better get the aubrunet back to the water quickly.

Jack didn't say anything during the wheelbarrow trip back to the beach, but unlike earlier in the evening his silence wasn't from fear of discovery. Instead, his mind was engaged in battle with his heart, so the pale youth could hardly focus on where they were going. Jack only returned to reality when they arrived at the beach and he remembered it would be necessary to pick Hiccup up yet again. Having him so close and not knowing how he felt was torture. He tried to act normal as he carried his companion to the water's edge and set him down; hopefully the merman wouldn't have noticed anything, hopefully he'd just say 'bye' and swim away…

"Jack?" _Dammit, he caught on_.

"Y-yeah, Hiccup?" Jack fiddled with his hands, forcing himself to make eye contact. Jack instantly regretted his decision; even with a frown on his face Hiccup took his breath away. _Wait, he said something again didn't he? I've_ got _to stop spacing out like this when he's talking to me!_

" _Jack_." The merman spoke insistently. "I said, are you okay? You're acting weird, is something wrong?" The teen opened his mouth to speak, to say something normal, a cheeky remark a friend would make, _anything_. But his plan failed, the moment he'd looked into Hiccup's bright green eyes the battle was lost; without even thinking Jack gave in and strode forward, leaning down and gently placing his mouth on the merman's own.

The kiss barely lasted an instant, during which Jack nearly burst with the feeling of warm cheeks and sweet lips before he realized what he was doing and jerked away, totally panicked. Hiccup's eyes were huge, and Jack—feeling like the world was crumbling—turned and dashed off before anything could be said; so busy berating himself for his stupidity that he didn't hear the shout for him to wait, to come back.


	6. Please Be There

**Please Be There**

Jack sat slumped on his front porch, frowning and fiddling furiously with a random piece of string. Plagued by thoughts of the past two weeks Jack had withdrawn completely, even from his own family, his mind a storm of conflicting emotions. Hardly a minute could go by without him thinking of a certain auburn-haired creature—and the accompanying guilt. Flinging away the string, Jack put his head in his hands, giving in to the memories with a sigh. After he'd lost control and kissed Hiccup that night, he'd sprinted home, heart pounding wildly at the thought of what he'd done. He'd been so afraid Hiccup would hate him, so angry with himself for acting on his feelings without at least _talking_ about them first that he could barely function. After several agonizing hours, he'd finally resolved to go try to find Hiccup and deal with the situation, come what may. But a big storm was brewing, and his parents refused to let him leave the house for "a little bike ride" especially since he was getting over being "sick". And they reminded him that he was supposed to be preparing to leave the next day for his history class's trip to Washington D.C.

Jack vividly remembered the alarm he'd experienced at this news. He'd _totally_ forgotten about the trip, and consequently hadn't informed Hiccup of his impending absence. He could imagine how bad things would look from the aubrunet's perspective: a surprise kiss and running off followed by two weeks of avoidance. Jack wasn't sure which possibility was worse: Hiccup feeling disgusted and never wanting to see the human again, or having liked him and feeling toyed with. The second option seemed unlikely though, as Jack sternly reminded himself that he had no information about Hiccup being attracted to other males.

The whole time in the capitol the white-haired boy was a wreck, constantly distracted and unable to appreciate the significance of the monuments and exhibits. Now that he was home again the pause button was revoked, and he couldn't put off his decision of what to do any longer without "doing nothing" becoming the decision by default. Part of him was tempted to treat the whole thing as an ended chapter—a glorious one, but finished—something belonging to the past where it was utterly irretrievable. At the same time, Jack didn't want to retreat back to the person he'd been, and he owed it to Hiccup to at least be honest even if his confession separated them forever.

Squinting at his watch, Jack saw that it was early afternoon, so if he was lucky Hiccup would still be at the dock for several hours. As he went to get his bike the teenager tried to focus on the "lucky" idea rather than the "or-Hiccup-might-never-come-to-the-dock-again-because-he-hates-you" idea.

As he neared his destination the blue-eyed boy steeled himself to find the dock empty and go home. But as he rounded the corner and saw a little cinnamon-haired figure sitting on the faded wood and looking out over the water, he couldn't help smiling slightly even as his heart cartwheeled rapidly between joy and trepidation. Well before Jack reached him Hiccup turned and stared at the boy; a strange mix of emotions playing across his face before settling on an angry scowl. Upon seeing this Jack halted, biting his lip nervously as he tried desperately to think of something—anything—to say. He could have slapped himself. _Why hadn't he figured this out beforehand?_

"H-hi, Hiccup." _Really Jack? That's the best you could come up with?_

"Really Jack? _Two weeks?_ I mean, sure you had a day's grace period with that storm, but to not come after—"

"—Hiccup, please—" Jack's face crumpled, this was exactly what he'd feared, but before he could explain the merman slashed his hand through the air, cutting him off angrily.

"—Do you have _any_ idea what I've been going through? I'd wanted you to kiss me for ages but I was afraid to say or do anything in case I was reading the signs wrong, and I didn't want to risk losing your friendship!" Hiccup fumed, yanking his hair in agitation. He'd been heartbroken after Jack had taken off that night, and just before the human boy showed up at the dock today Hiccup had been trying to convince himself to leave for good and just forget it all. "And then you run off," the merman swallowed hard, eyes blazing. "You could have at least come and told me it was all a big mistake, or…or you… _changed your mind_ …I don't know, something! So why—"

"I didn't come because I couldn't!" Jack finally yelled. Hiccup looked up at him warily. "What do you mean you _couldn't_?" Heart pounding, the white-haired boy closed the distance between them, terrified the freckled creature wouldn't believe him.

"Look, Hiccup, I know this looks really bad and you'll probably think I'm making this up and never want to see me again, but today was the soonest I could get here." Seeing the disbelieving expression on the other's face, he took a deep breath and tried to speak calmly—though he was shaking inside. Never in his life had he been so afraid of losing a friend.

"That night when my parents got home they reminded me about our class history trip. I wanted to bolt out here and tell you I'd forgotten all about it, that I'd be out of town for awhile, but with the storm coming mom and dad wouldn't let me. I couldn't tell them why it was so important, they don't know about you." Jack looked at Hiccup, biting his lip, "I—I probably should have come anyway, I've regretted it every day since. I only got home late last night. And I was so scared you wouldn't be here," Jack admitted in a whisper, _goddammit, why did he have to tear up now?_ "That, that I'd never get the opportunity to at least try and straighten things out, and apologize…and, and…" he trailed off. "I'm sorry Hiccup, god, I'm so sorry." He slumped into a sitting position on the dock, head in his hands as the seconds ticked by with agonizing slowness, waiting for a response.

"I forgive you." Jack's head whipped up at the soft utterance, his gaze boring into Hiccup's. His body flooded with relief upon seeing the merman's sincerity, though he was still afraid about moving forward, about what would happen next. The aubrunet kept talking quietly, yet honestly. "I was so confused and hurt, and I still am a bit, but I believe you Jack. I believe that you didn't mean for all this to happen, and—and I would really like to go back to, whatever we were. You're everything to me Jack." The human teen's heart nearly stopped when Hiccup smiled at him, a real smile with little wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

Several moments passed just smiling at each other, before Jack realized something. "Wait, did you say you _wanted_ me to kiss you?" Hiccup nodded, blushing profusely. _It should be illegal for someone to be that cute_ , Jack thought dimly, seriously, the things Hiccup did to him were ridiculous. "Well, if I recall correctly, our first one ended rather prematurely," Jack whispered with a slight smirk as he scooted closer and brushed his thumb gently against the merman's freckled cheek, a bluff to hide his underlying nervousness. Last time had been so impulsive there was no room for thinking—and therefore worrying—at least until afterwards. He didn't really have experience with this, but damn if he wasn't going to do his best to make it enjoyable for Hiccup.

Taking a deep breath, Jack carefully framed the merman's face with his hands, looking into his unbelievably beautiful eyes for a long moment before leaning in slowly. Closing his own eyes, he finally connected their lips in a tender embrace, smiling at Hiccup's sharp intake of breath. Jack could feel his body heating up as he kissed the merman softly, twice, three times before pulling back just enough to look at him, a question in his gaze. Hardly an instant passed before freckled hands grabbed his shirt and yanked his lips back down; Jack couldn't help moaning as Hiccup's fingers moved to thread through his hair, cupping the back of his head and deepening the kiss. The human felt he was slowly losing his mind, winding his arms around his beloved's bare torso to pull him even closer as their lips met over and over. Hiccup gasped when he felt the pale teen's tongue glide tentatively across his bottom lip, the instant his mouth opened it slid inside and Hiccup was lost in the ensuing caresses, impossibly sweet and utterly electrifying. Jack explored eagerly, spurred by the small noises the water creature emitted and the thrumming in his own veins. After what could have been eternity they slowed, sharing one last lingering kiss before breaking apart, breathless and trembling slightly.


	7. A Plethora of Kisses

**A Plethora of Kisses**

A cool autumn breeze danced across the bay, swirling the water and dropping brightly colored leaves onto the dock where Jack and Hiccup sat in the sunshine. The latter was reading out loud from his comfortable perch in the white-haired teen's lap, pale arms around his torso. Jack laid his head on Hiccup's shoulder and smiled, listening to his boyfriend derive spoken words from the strange symbols.

Boyfriend. Jack could hardly believe he was able to use that word to refer to Hiccup; that they were a couple now. Once they'd calmed down from their confessions and kissing that day, the two had talked about what this would mean for them. While Jack was beyond happy to be in this new stage with the cinnamon-haired creature, he was also highly aware of the enormous challenges that would come with such an unconventional attraction. They knew it would be difficult, that their relationship could easily fail. But both were willing to do everything possible to make it work, and for now that was enough. So Jack continued coming to the dock, and Hiccup continued greeting him with a kiss and that smile which made Jack forget everything else in the world.

"Jack." Said boy put aside his joyful musings and raised his head to kiss a freckled cheek gently. "Hmm?" Hiccup lifted the book slightly and pointed. "What's this word here? Plethora? That's what these letters are right?" Jack, who really couldn't care less about the book at this point, stalled answering the question and pecked his boyfriend's cheek again instead. " _Jack_ ," the merman insisted. Huffing quietly, said teen looked at where Hiccup was pointing.

"Yes, plethora, that's correct. Surplus, or, over-abundance."

The aubrunet swatted him playfully, "I know what words mean silly, I just need some help learning how to read them."

The human chuckled, "I know, I know. You're really doing great though, you're picking up reading super fast. Not that I expected anything different with that big head of yours. "

"Har har, I think you mean 'big brain'." Hiccup shifted slightly in Jack's lap. "I do love learning though."

The white-haired youth hummed in agreement as his lover resumed reading out loud, not that he was paying any attention. He was far too busy craning his neck to watch pink lips, before bringing his own down to greet a soft cheek yet again. When this failed to get the proper response, Jack smirked and yanked the book out of the scaly creature's hands. "Jack! What are you—" As soon as Hiccup turned his body in pursuit of the book his words were stopped by soft lips on his own. The kiss only lasted an instant before Jack pulled away and grinned. "I'm good now, you can keep reading." Hiccup rolled his eyes, but the effect was ruined by the faint blush on his cheeks and the smile on his lips. Laughing silently to himself, the merman closed his eyes and kissed him back, the reading session momentarily forgotten.

Dry grass tickled Jack's cheek as he turned his head, eyes lighting on the figure lying next to him on the forest floor, motionless save for the slight rise and fall of his freckled ribcage. Hiccup. Even though his head was turned, hiding that lovely face, his beauty took Jack's breath away.

They'd spent most of their time in the forest today, the early winter wind far too cold to remain on the exposed dock for long. Here among the trees it was protected enough to be bearable, and as always the silver-haired youth delighted in the water creature's company. As the afternoon went on their laughter drifted into comfortable silence, and they'd both closed their eyes here and there to enjoy the peacefulness. But now, as Jack's gaze lingered on the aubrunet, he was overwhelmed by the need to form words that had been on his mind for some time. Not knowing how to say them, opening his mouth only to close it again, Jack reached out and began gently tracing the melatonin speckles on his boyfriend's arm. The human teen _loved_ Hiccup's freckles. He loved Hiccup. Without really thinking about it, Jack moved his finger as if the merman's skin was a "connect-the-dots" page, shaping consonants and vowels into three important words.

No sooner had he finished then emerald eyes opened and turned to look at him curiously, a faint smile on those pink lips. "Jack, were you drawing letters on me?" Blushing slightly, said boy nodded, realizing (duh! Of course!) that Hiccup didn't yet have the literacy skills to actually decipher what he'd written. "What did you write?"

Sitting up, the pale teen reached over and again traced the freckles on the other's arm, while speaking softly. "I, love, you." Cobalt eyes lifted to meet emerald ones, "I love you Hiccup." The merman's eyes sparkled and his cheeks were flushed as he cupped the human teen's face tenderly. "I love you too Jack."

The kiss started out soft and sweet, but barely a moment passed before Hiccup grabbed white hair, pulling Jack closer while sliding his tongue past those sarcastic lips. The human teen responded eagerly, shifting onto his knees and gently pushing the aubrunet down so he could straddle him, never breaking the kiss. The water creature let out a gasp when Jack switched to his neck and collarbones, peppering the skin with light pink marks as he ran his hands all over the freckled torso. Breathing heavily, Hiccup reached up and slipped his fingers under Jack's sweaters to touch soft skin, making the owner inhale sharply. Hiccup rolled them over and latched onto Jack's pulse point, enjoying the sounds this produced. Pale fingers buried in cinnamon hair, tilting Hiccup's head to claim his mouth again as Jack spread his legs to accommodate the merman's tail. Both boys blushed at the intimacy of the position, even as they moaned from the feeling of their bodies completely pressed together. Hiccup placed another searing kiss on the human's lips, hands moving to grip the sweater that was very much in his way right now. Breaking the kiss, viridian eyes stared into azure ones as he lifted the cloth, smiling when Jack pulled his top off without any hesitation. Hiccup's hands traced all over the newly exposed skin as he drank in the all-too-rare-sight; it really wasn't fair that Jack saw him shirtless every day when the opposite couldn't be said. Soon lips replaced fingers, leaving the white-haired youth gasping.

A moment later Jack flipped them again, leaning over Hiccup as he caught his breath, mind swirling with a question that had been quite prominent in his thoughts lately. _How do merpeople have sex?_

Hiccup's eyes widened, "Y-you want to have sex?" Jack's face turned beet red as he realized he'd spoken that little thought out loud. "Shit, I'm sorry, I didn't actually mean to say that out loud, or pressure you, or anything. It's just something I've been wondering lately and—" His words stopped abruptly as Hiccup placed a thumb on his lips, and he turned to look at him. Embarrassment was quickly exchanged for astonishment as Hiccup smiled and pulled him in for a deep kiss, separating only a hairsbreadth to whisper against his lips, "Keep kissing me and you'll find out."


	8. I'll Keep You Safe

**I'll Keep You Safe**

Jack and Hiccup continued to see each other all through that winter and spring, to the notable deterioration of Jack's senior year grades. Winter was especially hard, between school and the weather it was difficult to spend much time with Hiccup on any given day; and even the merman could only handle the chilly air temperatures for so long. Despite the challenges it was a wonderful time in Jack's life, and as the months went by the two only became more important to each other. The blue-eyed youth helped Hiccup become completely literate, and he delighted in teaching him about human holidays—particularly Christmas—and finding creative ways to celebrate with him. He went all out for Valentine's Day, and the couple enjoyed a romantic chocolate fest, though Hiccup protested afterwards that he'd eaten so much he wouldn't be able to swim for a week.

Now it was early summer again, a little over a year—a fabulous, joy-filled year—since Hiccup had first come across the strange human with white hair. Jack had graduated from that thing called 'high school', was officially on summer break, and due to arrive any minute at the dock where the freckled creature was eagerly waiting for him.

"Hi Jack!" The happy shout poured out of him at the first glimpse of white bobbing alongside the trees as said youth came into view. Jack smiled and waved back at him, making his way down the little hill as Hiccup launched himself out of the water and onto the dock. As the human approached him however, the cinnamon-haired youth could see that his body was tense and his expression nervous. Brow furrowing, the merman spoke.

"Are you alright Jack? What's wrong? You look really nerv—" Hiccup stopped abruptly, and squinted at his boyfriend. "Those are strange shorts. Pants? No, shorts. I mean, there's nothing wrong with them, they just look different." He looked up at Jack sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to change the subject. How are you?" Jack sat next to him. "I'm okay, I guess. You're right that they're different, they're swim trunks." Hiccup looked totally confused. "Aren't trunks something that trees have?" The human youth laughed, and the merman couldn't help grinning with him. "Yes, trees have trunks, and this piece of clothing is also called trunks, and the back of a car where you put groceries and stuff is called a trunk. Human English is so messed up." His boyfriend rolled his eyes. "Clearly."

They were quiet, just sitting and swinging their legs—or in Hiccup's case, tail—over the edge of the dock. "So," the freckled creature broke the silence, turning to look Jack right in the eyes. "You said ' _swim_ trunks', and it was obvious from the moment you got here that you're really tense." There was a notable pause; and when Jack didn't speak Hiccup continued. "Jack, are you sure?"

The human teen nodded slowly, sucking in a shaky breath. "Y-yes, I-I want to go in the water, and try to-to get over my fear. Try to swim—"

"Jack," The aubrunet interrupted, taking his hands and shaking his head, "It's okay, really, you don't have to, I don't mind—".

Cobalt eyes lifted to meet emerald ones. "I want to." The two boys stared at one another for a moment, then Hiccup inclined his head ever so slightly. "Okay." Jack nodded as well, swallowing hard. "Hiccup," he whispered.

"Yes Jack?"

"Will you help me?"

Pink lips brushed softly against pale fingers. "Of course."

Hiccup floated in the shallows, his full attention focused on the boy about 15 feet away at the water's edge. As he'd swum towards the shore in preparation, he'd been busy testing the bottom with his tail for any sudden drop-offs he should warn Jack about. There were none, but the scaly creature wasn't sure if the gentle incline was a bonus or a hindrance. Jack wouldn't have any nasty surprises, but it also meant he had to walk a lot farther through the dreaded water to be fully immersed. The aubrunet could have beached himself and then wiggled—or been carried—into the water with Jack, but his boyfriend had requested that he wait for him a little ways out. It would give him a goal, a destination, he'd said.

Now though, as the minutes ticked by and Jack remained firmly frozen on land, hands clenched and staring at the water, Hiccup really wasn't sure if this was the best plan. He was just about to open his mouth and insist they call it off when the white-haired youth moved.

The first few steps came fairly easily, after all, Jack had in the past managed to go in a foot or so when placing Hiccup back in the water. As soon as the water came past his knees though the human stopped, shaking violently. In an instant Hiccup broke away from the plan and swam up to his side.

"Jack," he reached a wet hand up desperately to try and console his boyfriend, who was now wiping his eyes furiously. "Jack, I'm right here. You're going to be fine, you're not going to go under." The pale youth looked at him and nodded, taking his hand. Hiccup tried to sound reassuring. "I'll keep you safe. I promise."

"Okay."

Keeping his eyes locked on Jack's, Hiccup began slowly moving backwards in the water, away from the shore, until they could feel the tension in their intertwined fingers. After a brief hesitation, Jack took a step forward, then another and another. His movements were slow, uncertain, each step tiny; but the merman kept murmuring encouragement, hand never letting go. When the water was nearly chest-height the human teen stopped, cobalt eyes wide and his grip on Hiccup's fingers almost bruising as he breathed heavily. Hiccup awkwardly put his arms around Jack, the water still not deep enough for him to be completely upright. "I'm right here Jack, nothing's going to happen, you're going to be fine." With some effort he reached up and kissed his forehead. "You're doing great, if you can walk out just a little further I'll be able to support you properly." The white-haired teen closed his eyes and bit his lip savagely, trying to be rational and convince himself that he was safe. Slim fingers came up to brush away the tears tracing down his cheeks, and he heard his boyfriend's gentle, reassuring voice. "You're almost there."

After seemingly forever, Jack opened his eyes to stare into viridian ones, his entire world narrowed to those sparkling orbs as he gripped Hiccup's shoulders and stepped forward again.

Even though it was anticipated—indeed, the goal—the moment when Jack lost contact with the bottom was one of pure panic. " _Hiccup!_ " Said youth was already there, his arms wrapped tightly around his lover as his tail easily kept them both afloat. Jack clung to him, head resting on a freckled shoulder as he cried freely. Hiccup said nothing, just held his sweetheart as he released the stress he'd been carrying for nearly three years.

After his tears finally stopped Jack continued resting on the merman's shoulder, exhausted. He was still highly aware of the water but focused more on the feeling of safety that was Hiccup. He wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, only that as the moments went by and he didn't drown the fear slowly drained out of him, and he inadvertently began thinking of his happy memories of the water. Teaching his little sister to swim, playing games with his friends, and the love that had come to him from the sea. Hiccup. Lifting his head, the pale youth gazed at his beautiful boyfriend, whose face shown with such adoration and pride it took Jack's breath away. Blinking rapidly, he turned and looked around properly, face lighting up in wonder that he'd done it; he was actually completely immersed in the water, surrounded by water. Turning back to the aubrunet, a smile started spreading across his face.

"I'm really in the water. I'm here in the water with you Hiccup." Beaming, Hiccup leaned forward and kissed him.

"Yes, you really are."


	9. Epilogue: For All Time

**Epilogue—For All Time**

The summer that Jack overcame his fear of the ocean was one of the best of his young life. That first day was harder than he'd ever imagined, but by the end of it he was swimming alongside his love and able to freely open his eyes underwater—though there was no way he was going to go out far. After that, Jack practically lived at the beach, taking immense joy in his ability to be with Hiccup in his natural habitat as it were. While he'd often admired the merman's swimming, being in the water with him was an entirely different experience, far more intimate and wondrous.

When autumn rolled around Jack left his hometown to attend university a few hours away. Though he came back to see Hiccup as often as he could the distance was a real strain on both of them, and they certainly had their arguments. The only thing that got them through those four years were the letters. Before he left for his first term Jack had brought a water-tight box filled with the most water-resistant paper and pens he could find. While actually mailing letters to each other was impossible, they could and did write them during the week and then exchanged them on breaks to be read when they were separated again. As he was finishing his studies, the silver-haired man secured a place to live and a teaching job in his town; which would allow him to be near the aubrunet _and_ have the summers off.

The day after he graduated Jack put on a suit and eagerly made his way down to the dock, where he knew his beloved Hiccup would be waiting. Pulling out a silver ring, he knelt and asked the merman to marry him then and there; to be his alone for all time. Obviously Hiccup said yes. They couldn't exactly have a standard ceremony—let alone marriage—but after a heart-stopping and joyfully teary kiss they pledged themselves to each other, and from then on spent every possible moment together. If the weather was good they'd be at the dock, and if it wasn't—well, Jack soon made a habit of filling his blessedly oversized bathtub with seawater, which allowed his sweetheart stay at the house for several days at a time without shriveling up. The townspeople must have wondered why the elementary teacher routinely brought buckets of water back from the ocean, but the blue-eyed man couldn't have cared less.

When Jack became too old to carry Hiccup to the house or hike down to the dock he bought a boat, and met his dearest at many different places around the bay. And even though cinnamon hair faded to gray, and pale skin became dry and wrinkled, they still thought each was the most beautiful person in the world; their smiles lighting up the sky and laughter ringing across the water. Then one day Jack failed to come, and Hiccup waited in vain the next day and the next. A whole week passed, and the merman feared Jack's time in this world was over. It wasn't like they hadn't talked about it, and neither of them were spring seahorses anymore. But the scaled creature kept coming to the dock, stubbornly hoping that maybe his life-long love was simply in that thing called "hospital" for a spell, kept waiting for one more glimpse of white hair, one more sight of that dazzling smile.

Then, after nearly three weeks, the elderly merman surfaced to find an old woman standing on the shore next to the wooden walkway. Her presence was startling—in his long life Hiccup had only ever seen one human being up close—but not entirely surprising; and he felt his heart would break at this confirmation of what he knew to be the truth.

Jack's sister had gotten the shock of her life when she laid eyes on the water creature, and realized the veracity of her late brother's words. She'd always suspected Jack was gay, but it wasn't until the man had passed away and she was reading his will that she received any confirmation. Even then, she didn't really believe his alleged lover was a _merman_ , and only out of a sense of duty did she comply with his beseeching request to go down to this decrepit little dock she hadn't even known existed and bring a certain box.

Hiccup floated in silence, tears streaming down his cheeks as the woman informed him that Jack—his husband, his love—had died peacefully in his sleep. He only barely registered her still-wide eyes and surprised murmurs at his existence; but once she'd told Hiccup all she needed he accepted the proffered box with trembling hands and thanked her. After she had gone the merman carefully beached himself and opened the water-tight box. There was a copy of Jack's will, all of the letters Hiccup had ever given him along with the gifts and keepsakes, the few photos the crazy human had managed to take of the two of them, and his ring. Eyes burning, Hiccup slid the worn silver band onto his finger and reached for the last item in the box; a letter that he'd never read.

Once he finished the love note, clearly written only days before Jack left this world, he gently replaced all of the items and stored the container in the protected rocky crevice they'd used so many years ago. As the fading sun turned the water to gold, Hiccup thought of all the laugher, all the joy and love during those blessed days, and he smiled at the memory of Jack.

~Fin~


End file.
